The law of gravity
by xxraug-mossxx
Summary: Her lipstick was right there in her line of sight. Crimson was definitely her color, she thought. She vaguely registered movement around her until an unpleasant pressure on her stomach made her choke on the blood that was rapidly filling her mouth. Crimson had definitely been her color.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **this story is dedicated to the amazing and kind **madame_denna**. without her it most likely wouldn't exist. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. furthermore I realize that activity in the LotS fandom has somewhat died down because many of us have migrated to other fandoms, but this is my new contribution to this particular universe. it is, pretty much as always, a modern AU. there is a warning for M content in this prologue. enjoy.

* * *

**The law of gravity **

**.-.-.-.-.**

** We all fall**

**Prologue**

Denna Lewis reclined in her expensive anti-back pain leather chair and stretched her arms above her head. Another successful day at work with all the stress and paperwork that came with it. She smiled to herself and glanced at her desk where more than half of the folders were still waiting to be signed. With a small incline of her head, she decided to leave the rest for after the weekend.

A hot bath, some ice cream and a movie were waiting at her apartment and that seemed just perfect.

She looked up when the door to her office opened. Her co-worker and friend Dahlia stuck her head into the room. She smiled lightly, exhaustion clearly written across her features. "Hey I'm heading out, done for today, wanna join me for an early dinner?"

Denna lowered her arms to her desk and leaned forward. A hot bath would be just as relaxing with a full stomach and Dahlia looked like she could use someone to talk.

"Sure, I'll be right out."

Pushing the folders from one end of the desk to the other, she got up and gathered her phone and other belongings into her purse before slinging her coat over her shoulders and switching the lights off. The hospital was eerily quiet and empty on most Friday nights and this one was no exception. She walked down the corridors she knew like the back of her hand and stepped through the main entrance out into the cool air. The sun was slowly setting and it was noticeably getting chillier these days. Fall was just around the corner.

Denna walked past the main building and around the side to the parking lot where the staff had assigned parking spaces. A few street lights had already switched on and bathed the parking lot in semi-darkness with the large building behind her blocking out the last rays of the sun. She knew where Dahlia usually parked her car and slowly walked in that direction, but her co-worker was nowhere to be seen. Denna raised a hand to gently rub at her eyes. Her contacts were starting to dry out and she was having trouble seeing clearly in the dim light.

"Please don't, listen to me, you need to stop this," Dahlia's voice floated across the parking lot. It was too high-pitched, almost a shriek and Denna immediately quickened her steps. She crept toward the source of the noise, a large black SUV blocking her view.

"You killed her. She was just going to get her kidney removed and now she is dead. Dead," a choked male voice replied.

Denna's heart immediately sank and her hands started to sweat. She fumbled around in her purse for her phone and turned away to hide the light of the small screen with her body. She dialed 911 and held the device to her ear with a shaking hand.

"No, let go of me," Dahlia called and Denna sucked in a breath. An automatic voice was babbling into her ear, 'Please wait a moment, an operator will be with you shortly'. So much for being friend and helper.

She moved forward and glanced around the SUV. The scene before her could easily be out of one of her nightmares. A man, two heads taller than Dahlia, was holding her in a vice grip, standing behind her with the gleaming blade of a knife pressed against her exposed throat. He had a beard and shaggy dark hair that fell into his eyes. Had she passed him in the street she would never have spared him a second glance. But now that she had a clear view of his face she saw wild madness in those dark tear-filled eyes.

Dahlia was struggling against the hold the man had on her, sobs interrupting every other word as she tried to talk him out of hurting her. Denna clenched her teeth and and stepped forward, the cell phone held tightly in her grasp. Like hell would she let that bastard hurt her friend. She raised her arm and hurled the little device toward the man with all her might. The few years of high school softball finally paid off when it hit him squarely in the face. He grunted quietly and stumbled back, giving Dahlia the chance to slam her elbow into his solar plexus and break free. Denna's small smirk of victory vanished as Dahlia staggered forward and the man recovered and lunged for her.

But Denna was faster. She threw her entire weight into the tackle and successfully managed to hold the man back. Her purse sailed through the air and landed not too far on the dark concrete. All of her belongings scattered across the ground and she watched with fascination as her lipstick rolled across the parking lot until it hit the tire of a parked car. She gasped quietly when the man grabbed her, his arm twisting around her middle, holding her just like Dahlia.

The knife at her throat didn't hurt at first, but she saw white hot stars when it started cutting through skin. The feeling was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She thought of her usually sedated patients who she regularly cut open to repair damage or fix internal bleeding.

The knife was thrust into her stomach next and this time it really hurt. She wanted to scream in pain, but no sound beside a quiet gurgle made it out of her mouth. The blade was removed with a sickening wet sound she would never forget. The arm holding her upright suddenly disappeared and she sank to her knees, her hands helplessly grasping the air in front of her, unable to stop the blood from leaving her body. It soaked through the front of her jacket and blouse, she could feel it trickling down her chest, warm and thick, and for a single moment she was endlessly saddened that there were so many things in life she'd always told herself she could do later. Always later.

Now it was too late.

She heard Dahlia's voice from somewhere far away. It was getting more difficult to suck air into her lungs and she slowly slumped to the side until her cheek was pressed against the cold ground. Her lipstick was right there in her line of sight. Crimson was definitely her color.

She vaguely registered movement around her until an unpleasant pressure on her stomach made her choke on the blood that was rapidly filling her mouth. She closed her eyes and thought about how awfully slow the blood was leaving her body. She welcomed the cold, waiting for inevitable unconsciousness to follow. Crimson definitely had been her color.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Two Months Later

Her apartment looked strange, so completely empty, as she glanced around one last time. Her belongings were already on their way across the country and all that was left to do was follow them into a new city and a new life. She closed the door to her apartment and pushed the keys through the mail slot. They landed with a dull thud and she turned away with a quiet sigh.

Her best friend Darken was already waiting for her at the stairs, her traveling bag slung over his shoulder. He looked like someone had kicked his puppy as she followed him out of the building.

Dahlia had her arms crossed in front of her chest and squinted against the sun when Denna descended the front stairs behind Darken. He walked over to the taxi that was parked by the curb and shoved the bag into the trunk before slamming it shut with a little too much force.

"We'll miss you Den," Dahlia said quietly, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"I know, I'll miss you too."

"Then why are you moving two hundred miles away?" Darken asked as he joined them. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and actually scuffed the tip of his shoe against the ground.

"We talked about this," Denna reminded gently.

"I know, but I still don't have to like it."

"I won't disappear though, you can visit anytime you want. We'll talk on the phone, email. You won't even notice the distance."

Darken sighed. "I hope so." He stepped closer to her and pulled his hands out of his pockets to wrap his arms around her. Denna swallowed the small groan that threatened to escape her at the pressure of his hug. Dahlia placed a hand against his shoulder and pushed him back. "Easy there."

Darken immediately retreated and looked her up and down with wide eyes. "Shit I'm sorry Den, I forgot for a moment."

Denna smiled lightly and shook her head. "It's okay, I'm fine."

"So this is goodbye then," Dahlia said as she pulled Denna into her own gentle version of a hug.

"For now."

She smiled at both of them, and with a last wave of her hand, settled into the backseat of the taxi and closed the door with a resounding thud. She leaned back and stared straight ahead at the seat in front of her. She didn't need to see her two best friends growing smaller and smaller in the distance while the car merged with the traffic.

It hurt enough already. But she had to leave, she couldn't stay in this city any longer. It was as if the buildings were closing in on her, sucking oxygen out of the air and leaving her gasping for breath.

She saw the taxi driver glance in the rear-view mirror. "Hey, you look kinda familiar, you famous or somethin'?"

Denna bit back a sigh and shook her head. "No."

Another reason why she had to leave the city. She didn't need more reminders of what had happened, there were already enough of them every time she looked into a mirror. She pulled the scarf tighter around her neck and turned to stare out of the side window, watching the buildings rush past her in a blur.

A five hour flight, a new apartment, a fresh start.


	2. Someone please tell me

**A/N: **alright guys, here's the second chapter. I hope all of you (yes I mean all eight of you) enjoy it. again, I have to thank **madame_denna **for (not) so subtly encouraging me to write and post. seriously tho, she's the best.

* * *

**The law of gravity**

**.-.-.-.-.**

**We all fall**

_Somebody shine a light_  
_I'm frozen by the fear in me_  
_Somebody make me feel alive_  
_And shatter me_  
_So cut me from the line_  
_Dizzy, spinning endlessly_  
_Somebody make me feel alive_  
_And shatter me!_

**Chapter 1**** - Someone please tell me that it's okay now**

She woke up with a scream dying in her throat. The sheets were tangled around her legs and cold sweat was running down between her shoulder blades. Denna was breathing heavily, sitting up in the middle of her bed. She glanced around the empty dark bedroom for several moments until she reached a shaking hand over to the nightstand to flip on a small lamp. The bright glow illuminated the room and chased away every lingering shadow. She took more deep breaths until her heart stopped beating like it wanted to escape the confines of her ribcage.

A look at the digital clock on the other side of the room told her that it was barely past midnight. She had work in the morning anyway so there was no use in trying to go back to sleep. She pulled the tangled sheets away from her body and got up from the bed, deciding that a shower was definitely in order. She walked over to the en-suite bathroom and flipped on every light along the way. She ignored the large mirror on one side of the room and went straight for the shower. She threw her soaked shirt and shorts into the hamper before turning on the water and holding a hand under the spray to test the temperature. It took almost two minutes until it was hot enough for her to step into the shower stall.

The water pounded against the top of her head and shoulders, almost but not quite hot enough to scald her skin. The warmth helped ease the tension in her neck and the scent of her body wash soothed the queasy feeling in her stomach that she was now used to waking up with. The water started cooling when she finally stepped out of the shower and grabbed for a fluffy white towel. She wrapped it tightly around her body and once again ignored the mirror while walking past it back into her bedroom. She dug around her pile of freshly washed clothes for a shirt and some sweats, and after putting these on, wrapped her hair up in the towel.

She stopped in front of her bedroom door and opened the lock she had specifically requested. It was nonsensical, of course, to have a lock on the bedroom door but she felt better with it, so why not? She wandered into the kitchen, the lights were on over night anyway, and moved from one cabinet to the next, taking out a bowl, a spoon and her meds.

She downed three little white pills with a glass of water before pouring her cereal into a bowl and adding milk. The medication started taking effect while she was still chewing on her Capt'n Crunch. Soon enough the room around her lost its hard edges and dark corners. She could breathe more freely and, after putting bowl and spoon into the sink, it was almost bearable again. She walked back to the bathroom and untangled the towel from her head, turning to the mirror, brush in hand.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Miss Lewis, do you have a moment?"

Denna swiveled around in her office chair and nodded. "Sure."

Her boss, Zedd Zorander, jerked his head in the general direction of his office and Denna got up to follow him.

He sat down behind his desk and pulled on the collar of his white coat, a stethoscope securely curled around his neck. "Have a seat, I'll try to make it short."

Denna walked into the room and closed the door behind her with a quiet 'click'. She sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and rested her hands on her thighs, waiting patiently.

"Miss Lewis, you applied for a job here four weeks ago, and your resume stated that you had previous experience in the medical field. Now I assumed that you had worked as a doctor's receptionist before, however what I didn't expect was to find out that my new employee is more qualified to do my job than I am."

Denna made a small noise in the back of her throat. "I wasn't working in the field of pediatrics."

"No, perhaps not, but you are one of the most well-known and lauded surgeons of the country."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Zedd held up a hand to silence her. "Honestly, you probably have a reason for why you decided to work for me as a receptionist and I'm not going to ask any questions. But if you ever decide you want to talk about it, I am more than willing to listen, alright?"

Denna inclined her head and smiled. She knew she liked the quirky pediatrician for a reason. "Thank you sir."

"No problem," Zedd answered, moving one hand to smooth down his gray hair where it was sticking up weirdly. He wasn't very successful. "Now back to work."

Denna nodded and returned to her place behind the front desk where she smiled at every crying and sick child and their exhausted parents. She liked her new job. It was nothing like her old one and that meant less stress, less responsibility and most importantly, no more eighteen-hour days.

She was on her lunch break when one of her new colleagues, a smiling red-head, joined her. "Hey, Denna right? We haven't had many shifts together yet, but I just wanted to say welcome to the team."

"Thank you. I enjoy working here."

"That's good, I mean Doctor Z is really laid-back and its actually fun with him. Let me tell you I've worked for other doctors before and I swear they think the world is revolving only around them."

Denna smiled lightly and nodded. "Yeah I've encountered those before."

"I'm Jennsen by the way," the other woman introduced herself as she sat down across from Denna. The little table in the break room was littered with all kinds of sweets and Jennsen snatched up a piece of chocolate before unwrapping it and plopping it into her mouth.

"So, I've actually been meaning to talk to you since you started here," Jennsen, chewing thoughtfully on the chocolate.

Denna lowered the sandwich she was about to take a bite from back down to the plate and looked at Jennsen. She managed to keep her face impassive, but on the inside she was frantically trying to think of ways to get away from this conversation. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but she'd rather that it be later.

"You look like you do some workout sometimes," Jennsen began but blushed when Denna gaped at her. "Not that I've been checking you out or anything. I mean I would, if I were into that… into women I mean, 'cause you're really hot, but I'm not. Into women. Oh god." She buried her face in her hands and shook her head from one side to the other. "Sorry, that came out all wrong."

Denna chuckled, relieved that Jennsen was obviously trying to talk about something entirely different than she'd expected.

"What I meant to say was that my former sister-in-law has her own yoga classes now and I'm kind of helping her find people to take them, but not just because we're like family or anything but because she's really good and people really should be taking her classes. It doesn't really matter what kind of job you have or whatever, yoga is an awesome way to get rid of stress and just to figure out how to relax more easily. So I was wondering if you were interested. In taking a class I mean."

Jennsen had rambled on without a break and took Denna several moments to figure out the gist of what she'd been saying.

She raised an eyebrow. "Your former sister-in-law?"

Jennsen shrugged. "Long story. She's awesome though, and kind of better off without my brother. Not that I'd ever tell him that, but she was never really happy. And you're probably not interested in any of my messed up family stories." Jennsen glanced at her watch and pocketed another piece of chocolate before getting up. "Anyways, think about it okay? It'd be cool if you want to come."

Before Denna could even think about contributing to the conversation, Jennsen had already shuffled out of the break room with a wave of her hand. She raised her eyebrows and looked down at her half-eaten sandwich.

"Uh, sure I'll think about it," she said into the empty room and smiled. "Yoga, huh?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Denna tugged on the collar of her turtleneck and took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping into the fitness studio. A brunette behind the front desk smiled brightly at her. "Hello and welcome to Body Sense, how can I help you?"

"I'm here for a yoga class, I'm not sure who exactly is teaching it but I'm meeting someone -"

"Oh hey, you made it. Awesome," Jennsen called from across the room. She hurried over to Denna and tugged on her arm. "C'mon, I'll show you the changing rooms and then we're almost ready to start."

Denna cleared her throat and looked down at herself. She was wearing sweatpants and a black turtleneck - not really the ideal outfit for workout - but she wouldn't, couldn't, wear anything else. "Actually I don't need to change."

Jennsen turned to look at her and shrugged in response. "Okay, then let's head straight to the class."

Jennsen eventually let go of her arm and Denna exhaled a quiet breath she'd been holding. She followed her through the studio that was surprisingly large with several rooms housing all kinds of activities. One of the last doors led to a large room, one wall serving as a large mirror, where several women and two men had already gathered. They were chatting among themselves and waved at Jennsen as they entered, sneaking glances at her that they probably thought were subtle.

Denna felt her chest constrict.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She'd considered shooting Jennsen's offer down, but the idea of finally learning more about relaxation techniques had made her accept instead. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept through a night without meds, and most daily activities were starting to become an ordeal without a Xanax or two in her bloodstream, especially if there were many people around her and she wasn't in complete control of the situation. Yoga actually seemed like a sensible alternative, and she was more than a little curious to see whether it would improve her situation or just turn out to be a nonsensical waste of her time.

However she was starting to regret her decision. The gym room seemed a little too small for her as others began spreading mats on the floor. Even more people were coming in through the door behind her and the space shrunk even more.

She took a couple of shallow breaths and turned to Jennsen to apologize. She had the lie already on the tip of her tongue, something about not feeling well, when a warm hand settled between her shoulder blades. She flinched and spun around.

Denna stared a little dumbstruck at the woman before her. Electrifying blue eyes gazed at her from a pale face, a small smile dancing across shapely lips.

"Hey, just try to take a couple of deep breaths and ignore the others okay? Just focus on me."

Denna nodded, still surprised by the odd encounter, the tightness in her chest dissipating again. She forced her legs to move toward the back of the room, her gaze trained on the woman with blue eyes who took up position at the front. She smiled brightly at everyone until she looked at Denna and the smile changed a little.

Jennsen tossed her a mat and gave her a thumbs up from where she stood in the middle of the room. Denna managed to contort her face into a smile and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

Being in the back of the room with most attention focused on the brunette in the front gave Denna a moment to breathe and to look around. The other people in the studio were either wearing shorts and shirts or tank tops and spandex. The number of men hadn't increased and the room was mostly filled with light voices and quiet laughter.

"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know me yet, I'm Kahlan and I'll be leading this class today. I was asked to teach a couple of classes in my spare time and I agreed because I love doing yoga. It helped learn more about myself along the way and become a more balanced person. We will start easy today, just a few basic positions and most importantly breathing exercises. This will help you get a better sense of your body while relaxing your mind."

Denna took another breath, finally feeling like she could focus enough to actually follow instructions. She pushed the sleeves of her turtleneck up her arms and listened to Kahlan introduce the origins of yoga and its purpose. The words didn't really matter to her, but the way Kahlan's voice washed soothingly over her allowed Denna to close her eyes for a moment to calm down.

She smiled to herself at the surprising turn this evening had already taken and opened her eyes to regard Kahlan. Her black tresses were pulled back into a ponytail and she'd shed her black training jacket to reveal a white shirt with the studio's logo on it. The muscles of her arms flexed as she gestured with a smile. Denna swallowed. Of course the yoga class instructor had to be drop dead gorgeous - it was a cliché that just waited to be fulfilled.

The first thing Kahlan told them to do was lie down and just focus on breathing calmly and consciously. Easy enough.

But the longer the lesson went on, the more difficult it became. Denna hadn't counted on some of the positions actually being difficult and struggled to stay upright or in the same place more often than not. From her spot in the back she saw that many others weren't faring much better.

By the end of that hour of yoga she was sweating in her black turtleneck, the material clinging uncomfortably to her skin.

Denna gasped quietly when a piercing pain shot through her abdomen during one of the last exercises. She was forced to sit up while everyone else still had their foreheads firmly pressed to the mat. She wasn't paying attention to Kahlan and flinched when she suddenly knelt down in front of her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine, just a little unaccustomed to the whole bending and breathing thing," Denna answered, a little out of breath. She pressed her hand into her aching side and sat up a little straighter.

Kahlan's eyes traveled from her face down to her stomach and back up before she nodded and straightened to walk back to the front of the class. "Alright everyone, that's it for today. Remember what I told you about the various positions and if you have time, practice at home. I promise that it will get easier."

The class clapped and the noise of chatter and laughter filled the small room. Denna got up and rolled her mat together before slowly walking over to Jennsen who was chatting with some of the group members. She turned to Denna with a broad smile. "How'd you like it?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

She wasn't entirely sure why she kept coming back after that first time but with every passing week it did get easier to stay in the yoga positions and focus on nothing but her breathing. It didn't really help with her nightmares but Denna felt generally more at ease after the sessions and it gave her something to look forward to during the week. Not that she enjoyed being cooped up in a small room with a dozen or so people, but Jennsen's enthusiasm was fairly infectious and Kahlan's presence was reason enough for her to return.

After being hit on and having shot down several of the other yoga class attendees she was mostly left alone aside from Jennsen and her small group of friends chatting with her every time they arrived. It was interesting to find out that she didn't mind other people's company as much when she'd gotten to know them a bit better and they were in a certain kind of environment that allowed for some degree of control. That alone seemed like an accomplishment she could be more or less proud of.

In week seven of yoga training she actually managed to master one of the more difficult exercises and after remaining in the same position for more than five minutes she found herself drifting off. Not into sleep, but into a peaceful state of mind where nothing around her mattered. She was alone in her head. No noise, no distractions. She wasn't thinking about anything and simply drifted in and out of that state between awake and asleep.

She didn't immediately recognize the warm hand on her shoulder for what it was and reacted to the touch with a small noise. Warm breath tickled her ear.

"Slowly come back to me, just concentrate on my voice and come back."

Denna furrowed her brow and slowly but surely left her silent little bubble only to become aware of her surroundings again. A hand was resting on her shoulder while the other one was firmly pressed against her side. Her eyes snapped open and she saw that most of the other people had already left the room and were moving toward the door.

"Just breathe into my hand," Kahlan said from behind her and the hand on her side moved around her body to her diaphragm.

"Don't touch me," she hissed and immediately moved away from Kahlan. She scrambled to her feet, her breathing completely erratic. She stared down at Kahlan who was still on her knees and looking at her with a confused expression.

"I can't… I have to go," she blurted out grabbed her bag before hurrying over to the door. She tugged on the collar of her sweatshirt and rested her hand against her wildly beating heart. She ripped the door open and almost bumped into a blonde woman whose hand was raised toward the door knob.

"Uh hey," she said with a raised eyebrow but Denna simply shouldered past her and into the hallway.

Outside she hailed a cab and made it back to her apartment just in time to fall apart.

Everything suddenly felt too restraining and she pulled her sweater over her head, tossing it into a corner. She freed her hair from the tight braid and walked straight into her bathroom, flipping on all the lights along the way. She stopped in front of the large mirror and stared down at the sink for several moments before she raised her eyes and stared at her face.

The dark circles under her eyes were barely visible through the make-up. Her hair was a mess and she raked a hand through the blonde strands that were so light they almost seemed white. She remembered how Dahlia had convinced her to color her hair several years back and that accident had turned her from brunette to blonde. She'd never wanted to be a peroxide blonde, far from it really, but she'd grown to like it a lot. It fit her more than she'd expected.

Her eyes traveled from her hair back to her face and further down to her throat. She raised a shaking hand and traced the white scar with her fingers. She didn't feel anything, the nerves were severed but she stroked the thick scarred skin with her fingertips for a moment before she let her hand drop. She let her gaze travel further south and winced at the way her ribs stood out against her pale skin. She'd lost more weight than she was willing to admit, recalling how Darken had asked her to take good care of herself after moving away.

She exhaled a breath she'd been holding and looked down at her abdomen where she still felt Kahlan's hand pressing against her sweater, the heat simply filtering through the material. More scars marred her skin there, going from her breastbone down to her stomach where several small white lines branched out along her sides. The cosmetic surgeon had done an amazing job with the stitches but the scars were still clearly visible. A constant reminder of that day in the parking lot.

Denna raised her head and grinned wryly at herself. After almost four months she still couldn't let anyone touch her. The thought alone made her insides clench. She was afraid of people and every single person she encountered seemed to pose a threat somehow. Denna knew that she should be in therapy, but she just hadn't been able to talk about it yet. She'd told herself that she needed to process it first before she could share her emotions and memories with some random stranger she paid to listen to her.

She took a deep breath and moved her hand to hover over the scars on her stomach but she just couldn't bring herself to touch them. Instead she turned to the medicine cabinet and popped two pills into her hand, one for the pain and one for the anxiety. She downed them with a glass of water and trudged back into the living room where she wrapped herself into a thick blanket and sat on the couch, switching on the television and watching whatever show was on.

She burrowed deeper into the blanket and closed her eyes. Her phone rang somewhere in the apartment and she had to scramble around before she found it in one of the pockets of her sweater. She held the device to her hear.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Den, how's it going over there?" Darken asked in his usual rich deep tone.

He sure was every woman's dream come true with his sleek black hair and tasteful three-day stubble, only if he wasn't as gay as the night was dark. He was so much of a guy, always wearing suits and playing Prince Charming wherever he went that it was hard to tell. But once he started talking about another cutie he'd kicked out of bed in the morning it was clear that he was definitely batting for the other team.

Denna smiled and settled back into the couch. "Hey, it's going okay. I mean, you know work and all that."

"You and work. How about a vacation? Come and visit us, your friends remember? The people you can trust with your life?"

Denna chuckled quietly and pulled the blanket tighter around herself, trapping the phone between her head and the couch. "I don't think I'm ready yet, to come back I mean. But if you want to visit, I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"You're looking for a flight on your laptop right now aren't you?"

Darken made a small noise and then sighed. "So what?"

"You can't just take off work to fly all across the country."

"Maybe if I tell them I'm sick -"

"Darken."

"Yeah, okay, alright, but soon, you hear me? I've already requested some days off and then I'll be on your ass you won't even know what happened."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"You better. Okay, now tell me, what's been going on in your life?"


	3. Why am I making this hard on myself?

**A/N: **what is it with my LotS stories and scars? honestly I didn't even realize until now… ah well, it's either that or dogs. guess that's just how I roll. also, I truly am grateful for the support, you guys are awesome. that's exactly why the Seeker fandom has a special place in my heart. on to the next chapter!

* * *

**The law of gravity**

**.-.-.-.-.**

**We all fall**

**Chapter 2 - Why am I making this hard on myself?**

Denna cleared her throat and stepped into the room. Kahlan turned around and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again soon," she said and put down the clothes she was about to stuff into a gym bag.

Denna had skipped the last three yoga sessions on purpose but had decided that she at least owed Kahlan an apology for the way she had basically fled from her the last time. "Yes, I actually came by to apologize. It wasn't your fault, really, I just… I'm not -"

"It's okay, honestly, you don't have to apologize at all. It's me who is sorry. I noticed that you have problems with being touched and I was pushing your boundaries."

Denna opened her mouth but was at loss for words. It was accurate enough, she felt trapped as soon as anyone attempted to get near her.

"What do you mean 'noticed'?" she eventually decided to ask.

The corner of Kahlan's mouth turned upward for a brief moment. She indicated a plush mat in the middle of the floor with her hand. "Do you have a little time?"

Denna looked from Kahlan to the mat and back before dropping her purse onto one of the tables beside the mirror and walking over to the mat. Kahlan sat down cross-legged opposite her and leaned back onto her hands. Denna tucked her legs under her body and folded her hands in her lap, watching Kahlan with mild trepidation.

"Okay, I'm just going to speculate on a few things and you can interrupt me anytime you want. I must admit that I've been thinking about you and well, I've been meaning to catch you alone to talk," Kahlan began.

Denna raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kahlan replied with a small smile and tilted her head back in thought. "The first time I saw you, you looked like you wanted to be anywhere but in this room. Your breathing was so irregular that I almost thought you were going to pass out. Aside from that you seemed to be fine as soon as no one was paying much attention to you. I know I'm not really an expert, but judging by the clothes you wear, you have something to hide." Kahlan glanced at the scarf around Denna's neck. She was weaing it despite the relative warmth in the room. "Which is completely fine, we all do, but I feel like whatever you are trying to conceal is making life difficult for you."

Denna took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "You're quite observant."

Kahlan flashed her a brief smile and leaned forward so that her hands were now resting on her thighs. "I've been told as much. Some of my friends are convinced that they can't lie when I ask them a direct question."

"That seems like a useful skill to have," Denna commented quietly.

"Sometimes." Kahlan shrugged and looked up when the door to the room opened and a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair entered.

Denna vaguely remembered bumping into her when she'd fled through the exact same door a few weeks ago. She slowly got to her feet and straightened her blouse as well as the scarf around her neck.

"Am I too early?" the blonde asked, standing in the door ready to leave again.

"No, we're done," Denna answered, briefly turning to Kahlan. "See you next week."

"I'm looking forward to it," Kahlan replied.

Denna walked across the room and waited for the blonde to step aside. Sea-green eyes peered at her from a perfectly beautiful face and Denna felt her lips curl up in a small smile. What was it with the women in this city that they looked like they'd just jumped straight out of some impossible fantasy?

After a few steps down the hallway she remembered that she'd forgotten her purse and, turning back around, entered the room only to find Kahlan pulling the blonde closer by her hips and kissing her gently. Denna grabbed her purse and closed the door as quietly as she could on her way out. They probably hadn't noticed her and she breathed a quiet sigh, not entirely sure if the feeling in her chest was disappointment or appreciation. Kahlan and her blonde partner sure looked gorgeous together.

She raked her hand through her hair and shook her head. Time to go home for a nice hot bath, some ice cream and a movie. At least some things just didn't change.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hey," Jennsen said with a bright smile as she plopped down across from Denna in the break room. This was slowly starting to become a ritual, but Denna didn't mind. They'd been getting shifts together more frequently and she couldn't help but wonder if Zedd had anything to do with it.

"Hey, what's up?"

Jennsen unwrapped a giant sandwich and bit into it with gusto. "I was going to ask you if you had time this Friday. There's a party, well, it's Kahlan and Cara's housewarming party and you're invited. I mean because you know Kahlan now, and because we're kind of friends."

Denna was staring at her silently, causing Jennsen to glance up at her with a slightly saddened expression. "We are, right? Friends I mean. I would like that."

"I yes, I'd like that too, and I do consider you a friend," Denna answered with a smile. She thought about Darken and Dahlia and how they would immediately fall for Jennsen and her generally bright and happy attitude.

"Great. So you'll come to the party then?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't want to impose."

"You're invited, like officially."

Denna chuckled at that and leaned back. "I'll let you know tomorrow okay?"

"Sure."

"I've been wondering," Denna said, resting her chin on her hand after propping her elbow up onto the table, "you never actually told me the story behind 'former sister-in-law'."

Jennsen blinked at her. "It's kind of funny actually, or I guess now it is looking back. So my brother and Kahlan were dating, that is until she met Cara…"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Denna looked at herself in the mirror and cocked her to the side.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, I'd fuck you, if I was into women that is," Darken commented from where his face was peering up at her from her computer screen.

"Gee thanks," Denna answered with an eye-roll. She tugged on the collar of her crisp white shirt and buttoned up the last button on her black blazer. Matching black slacks and heels completed the outfit. She'd pulled her hair into a thick ponytail slightly off to the side so that the strands were now cascading down over her shoulder and one side of her chest.

"But seriously, you look amazing in that outfit. Whoever you're trying to impress will be impressed."

"I'm not trying to impress anyone, I just want to look presentable."

"Yeah right," Darken snorted, "sure you don't want to get into the pants of that co-worker friend of yours?"

"Absolutely not," Denna answered with a raised eyebrow, "she's like a sister I never had."

"Oh. Well, someone else then. Whose party is this again?"

"A friend of my co-worker friend who also happens to teach a yoga class I'm attending."

"So that is who you're getting all dressed up for then."

Denna narrowed her eyes at the screen and stalked toward it. "I have to go."

"No, please, I'm just kidding, don't shut me, please don't shut me, I'll die -"

Darken was still wailing as she closed her laptop with a quiet 'click'. She wasn't trying to impress anyone, she just wanted to prove to herself that she could attend a housewarming party just like any other normal person. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. She could do it, piece of cake.

She reached over to her little make-up bag and froze when her eyes fell on the red lipstick that was sitting inside. She had to take several deep breaths until she could reach inside and grab a different color. She sparsely applied the light copper lipstick and dropped it into the bag before turning away from the mirror and briefly closing her eyes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The face she was staring into was not one she was expecting when she rang the doorbell. A man with handsome features and short brown hair smiled brightly at her.

"Hey come right in, the party is down the hall," he greeted her and opened the door wider.

Denna slowly walked inside, clutching the wine bottle she'd bought earlier to her chest.

"I'm Richard by the way," he introduced himself.

Denna raised her eyebrows. That Richard, Jennsen's brother, Kahlan's former fiancé?

"Nice to meet you," she said and took the offered hand. Richard's handshake was firm and warm and she immediately liked him a bit better.

"You too, follow me to where the fun is."

He actually winked at her and Denna could clearly see other women falling for his boyish charm. She was trying to find the resemblance between him and Jennsen but it was actually quite hard to tell that they were siblings.

She followed him through the small foyer into another room, probably the living room judging by the couch and flatscreen TV in the center of it. A dozen or so people were sitting or standing in either the living area or the adjoining kitchen. It was a nice tastefully decorated home in bright colors and a window front that led out into the backyard.

As soon as Jennsen spotted her from across the room, she made her way over to them. The redhead was wearing a dark green dress that made her eyes stand out against the curls of hair framing her face. Denna smirked.

"And who are you trying to impress?" she asked quietly.

Jennsen blushed and looked around quickly. "I could ask you the same thing."

Denna smiled briefly before Richard cleared his throat.

"Oh, I almost forgot, this is Denna, we work together. Denna this is my brother Richard," Jennsen said.

"You're a doctor?" Richard asked.

"Receptionist," Denna replied smoothly, her grip around the wine bottle tightening.

Jennsen gently tugged on her arm. "Excuse us dearest brother but I'm sure Denna wants to hand over her present to the house owners."

"Sure." Richard smiled and let them go with a small nod.

"I actually am trying to catch someone's eye," Jennsen said quietly as Denna followed her past the living area toward the back of the house.

"Really? Who is it?"

"His name's Chase, he's just so… I don't know, he doesn't look like it but he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met and I just feel so…special around him."

Their conversation was distracting Denna enough to ignore the people around her. She felt calmer with Jennsen around and the Xanax she'd taken prior to coming was doing its job just fine. She stepped outside through the glass silding doors and glanced around the pool area. It was warm enough to stand outside and enjoy the sunset, so a couple of people had seemingly decided to gather here to chat, Kahlan and her partner among them. Jennsen led Denna over to them and smiled brightly when they turned to her.

"Hey guys, great party so far."

"Thanks," Kahlan replied and looked at Denna, "glad you could make it."

"Thank you for inviting me," Denna answered and held the wine bottle out to her, "for the party after the party."

Kahlan took the bottle and studied the label. The blonde, Cara, was looking over her shoulder to glance at it as well but eventually raised her eyes and trailed her gaze from Denna's torso up to her face and back down to her feet. The look she was giving her wasn't friendly, but it wasn't aggressive either. She was merely being sized up and Denna was glad she'd chosen this outfit, otherwise she would be feeling not quite up to the challenge. Denna followed suit and allowed her eyes to travel briefly over Cara's form. She was wearing a dark crimson blouse and tight black pants, her blonde strands messy in a way that looked more deliberate than actual bed hair.

A smirk was playing on full lips which Denna returned with a raise of her eyebrow. Jennsen and Kahlan seemed oblivious to what was going on and gushed about how the wine must've cost a small fortune judging by the vintage.

"Actually no, I happen to know someone who sells me the best vintages for a fair price," Denna said and shoved her hands into the pockets of her slacks in order not to awkwardly fidget now that she had nothing to hold on to.

"Well thank you, the least I can do is insist that you share it with us later," Kahlan answered.

Denna chose not to comment and turned her head when Jennsen looped her arm through hers and pointed at the glass doors behind her. "There he is," she said quietly. Denna tried to inconspicuously look over her shoulder. The man that was stepping outside now was at least two heads taller than her, which meant three heads taller than Jennsen. He had broad shoulders and a dark complexion. His handsome features were somewhat dark with his shaved head and three-day stubble, but the way his eyes lit up when he saw Jennsen was a dead giveaway. Denna took her hand out of her pocket and placed it on the smaller woman's lower back. "Go get him."

Jennsen blushed lightly and squared her shoulders before stalking toward Chase. Denna smiled and heard Kahlan chuckle beside her. "She's just too cute sometimes."

"Mhm," Denna agreed wordlessly.

Kahlan and Cara eventually excused themselves to chat with their other guests, promising to return and talk some more later. Denna watched them go before wandering back inside and toward the small bar in the living room where Richard had taken to serving drinks.

She requested an alcohol-free cocktail from Richard - anything else wouldn't be mixing well with the Xanax - and watched him prepare it with a grin on his face. He presented the drink to her with an expectant look in his brown eyes and Denna took a small sip before nodding approvingly. After that he was busy with fulfilling other drink requests while flirting with several women who basically threw themselves at him without any shame. After one reproachful look too many Denna decided not to linger near the bar and strolled toward the kitchen where she found plates with finger food and snacks. Everything seemed well-prepared and she felt at ease with few looks being directed her way. It did her ego a world of good that she could still pull it off, even if she wasn't entirely in the moment and had other thoughts to occupy her.

She was about to move back outside when a voice froze her right in place. "Doctor Lewis? Denna Lewis?"

She contemplated ignoring whoever had just called out to her but eventually turned around with a face of controlled indifference. A man with graying hair, probably in his fifties, wearing thick glasses, strode across the room toward her, raising his glass to catch her attention. "Doctor Lewis, I knew it was you, I saw you speak at a conference a few years back."

"I'm sorry, but I think you must be confusing -"

"I think it was about recreating tissue artificially in order to help scar tissue regenerate in terms of invasive surgery," the man continued on, completely oblivious to the rising panic she knew was visible in her eyes. She clutched her drink tightly in her hand and took a small step back. She could easily escape, the front door wasn't that far away. The voices in the room became quieter with the blood rushing in her ears and the distance only seemed to increase. Her heart beat uncomfortably fast and she took a few shallow breaths.

"I've been meaning to contact you actually, it's so funny that I run into you here, the world is small after all. I heard you left the west coast after…"

Denna saw the man's lips moving but she couldn't hear a single thing he was saying. Her fingers that were still tightly curled around her glass started to feel numb and her head spun with the overwhelming urge to just make a run for it. Her muscles tensed, ready to just shoulder her way past anyone who was in between her and the door, when a hand came to rest at the small of her back. She saw blonde hair from the corner of her eyes and she slowly turned her head, staring at Cara's profile without quite understanding what was going on. Cara spoke to the man in front of her but she still couldn't make out any words. Instead the pressure on her lower back increased and she was forced to move, unfortunately not in the direction of the front door.

Cara wordlessly guided her over to a set of stairs that led to the upper level of the house and Denna stared at them numbly. The glass in her hand was plucked out of her grasp and instead fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her up the stairs.

When she left the noises downstairs behind, she realized that it had never really been quiet. Cara moved into one of the rooms upstairs that turned out to be some kind of study and shut the door behind them.

Denna released a shuddering breath and walked a couple of steps before she bent forward and rested her hands on her thighs, trying to calm the erratic beating of her heart. What wouldn't she give for a Xanax right now, or a fluffy pillow.

A glass filled with dark amber liquid appeared in her line of sight and she followed the hand that was holding it with her eyes until she was looking up into Cara's face.

"Drink."

"I don't think -"

"Just one drink," Cara interrupted, patiently holding the glass in front of her until Denna straightened and took it.

The amber liquid burned down her throat and actually helped calm her a bit as it settled warm and heavy in her stomach.

"Better?" Cara asked, taking a gulp from her own glass.

"I… yes, thanks."

Cara plopped down on a desk chair and swiveled around so she could face Denna who also took a seat on the small couch on the other side of the room. There wasn't much else to see but a bookcase and a desk with folders and other kinds of stuff scattered about.

Denna drank more of what she suspected was some kind of scotch and allowed the alcohol to muddle her senses until her anxiety was reduced to a bearable level.

She hated it, every single second of not feeling like she was in control. Simply because someone had recognized her she'd completely freaked out and there seemed to be nothing she could do to stop it. It was pathetic, but at least she was able to snap out of the worst again fairly quickly.

"So you're taking yoga classes?" Cara asked. She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs, one arm dangling over the armrest. Denna watched her for several silent moments until she leaned back as well, balancing her glass on her thigh.

"Yes, Jennsen actually convinced me to start."

"She's been quite busy recruiting new people," Cara said and tilted her head back to finish off her drink before reaching over to the desk and pouring herself another one from a glass bottle.

"But that's not Kahlan's actual job is it?"

"No, she is getting her PhD in psychology," Cara answered.

Denna's eye twitched lightly and she gulped down more of the alcohol. "Interesting."

"She told me about you."

"Did she now? I doubt there is much to say."

With a gentle sway of her wrist Cara swirled the liquid around in her glass and smiled lightly. "Depends."

"On what?"

"Were you having a panic attack out there?"

Denna clenched her jaw and downed the rest of the scotch in her glass before getting up. "Thanks for the drink." She turned and swayed slightly, the door in front of her tilting precariously. She sucked in a breath and blinked her eyes a couple of times. A hand came to grasp her elbow and steadied her against the onslaught of dizziness.

"Easy there," Cara said quietly.

Denna freed her arm with a quick movement, almost propelling herself into the bookcase beside the door. She sighed and rested a hand against the wall, closing her eyes.

"We have a guest bedroom," Cara offered.

"I can't just -" she began but had a hard time getting the words out of her mouth.

That glass of scotch was really getting to her head and it was becoming difficult to stay upright without everything spinning around her.

"Come on," Cara insisted with a small smirk, "can't let you leave like that or Jennsen and Kahlan will have my head. Hospitality and all that."

Denna sighed and tried to walk steadily toward the door Cara opened for her. "Fine. Just a couple of hours," she mumbled and walked in the direction Cara indicated.

The guest bedroom was down the hall and contained a bed and a dresser, a mirror on the wall and a couple of plants on the window sill. The bed looked fairly inviting and Denna sat down heavily.

"Need any help with that?" Cara asked, nodding toward her clothes.

"If I didn't know better… I would think… you were trying to get into my pants," Denna said with a dry chuckle, already forgetting the words after they left her mouth.

Cara answered with an amused snort and shook her head. "Okay then. There's a bathroom right across the hall, some clothes in the dresser, help yourself, and we're next door if you need anything."

Denna just tilted her head to the side and regarded Cara for a couple of seconds before she raised her chin haughtily. "It's you who got me drunk in the first place, so this is the least you can do."

"I got you drunk?"

"Well what do you call giving someone alcohol then?"

"You're kind of sassy when you're drunk."

"And you're kind of…blurry."

Cara chuckled and turned to leave the room. "Get some rest, I'll bring you some aspirin tomorrow."

"I don't feel pain," Denna mumbled, struggling out of her blazer.

Cara turned to look over her shoulder with a smirk. "Right. Sleep well."

It took Denna several more minutes until she'd shed her blazer and slacks and after that she was too tired to do anything more but crawl further up the bed and collapse. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she would be horribly embarrassed come morning but for the moment the bed felt heavenly soft and the room stopped spinning as soon as her head hit the pillow. She puffed her cheeks and sighed before closing her eyes and promptly falling asleep.


	4. When There Are Beautiful Reasons

**A/N: **this update took a little longer because I was writing on some other stories as well, but I hope you guys are still sticking with me. please enjoy and keep on sharing your thoughts with me.

* * *

**The law of gravity**

**.-.-.-.-.**

**We all fall**

**Chapter 3 - When there are so many beautiful reasons to be happy**

The same nightmare each and every time. The same scene playing like a movie in front of her until everything was turned around and she felt the knife at her throat again. The cold steel, the hot searing pain**. **

It was hard to breathe and Denna felt a distinct pressure on her chest. Her world tilted to the side and back before she became aware of something aside from the images of her nightmare. Something was on her face - no someone was touching her face. After a moment she could hear a voice, murmuring quietly. The darkness around the edges of her consciousness receded and she opened her eyes, a gasp tearing from her mouth. He was going to kill her, she just knew it, this time he would finish it. She pushed the hands off and away from her while scrambling away from the dark figure.

"God no."

She barely recognized her own voice with its roughened quality to it. Her head was pounding incessantly and the dark figure in front of her shifted.

"It's okay, no one is going to hurt you, you're safe."

Those were certainly not words she would expect to hear from someone trying to kill her and Denna realized that she wasn't dreaming anymore. She blinked her eyes several times and looked around. She was sitting with her back against the headboard of an unfamiliar bed, legs pulled up against her body, one hand stretched out to push away whatever threat was coming at her while the other instinctively snapped up to the collar of her shirt and her neck.

Fingers curled around her own and she slowly lowered that hand, looking up and seeing Kahlan frowning at her from where she was perched on the edge of the bed. "Nothing is going to happen to you here," Kahlan said in that calm and soothing voice.

It took Denna several more moments to remember why exactly she was not in her own bed and why Kahlan was right there, still holding her hand.

"This… I'm not… I'm okay," she eventually said and extracted her hand from Kahlan's warm fingers to pull it against her chest. She was still awkwardly pressed up against the headboard and slowly slid down and to the side to swing her legs out of bed and get up. She looked down at herself and realized that she was only wearing her underwear and a white dress shirt. Denna cleared her throat and bent down to pick up her pants. "I should be going," she said without looking at Kahlan.

"Denna, hold on, please talk to me."

She was awkwardly trying to pull her pants up while she hobbled over to the door. A headache was pounding in the back of her head, making it hard to focus on anything. That certain distinct feeling of panic from her dream was still very present in her mind and all she wanted to do was run. She was almost through the door when Cara appeared in front of her and a sweater and sweatpants were unceremoniously thrown into her face. "You're not going anywhere."

Denna clawed the articles of clothing away from her face and scowled. "Out of the way, now."

Cara simply arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest while Denna abandoned the task of putting on her pants and simply crumpled them in her hands.

"Or what?"

"Cara," Kahlan said from somewhere behind her.

Denna raised her hand to her forehead and worked her fingertips against her temple. This wasn't getting her anywhere. What was wrong with these people that they just wouldn't let her get the hell out of here? They weren't friends, and even then most people weren't remotely interested in dealing with someone else's problems.

"How about you just go over into that bathroom, change into the comfy sweats I so graciously let you borrow and then we'll talk, okay?" Cara said, her eyebrow still raised in an unvoiced challenge.

"Listen, you really shouldn't leave like this okay? I know it's none of our business, but sometimes it helps to just let it out. You don't have to see either of us ever again, so maybe just give it a shot?"

Denna warily turned to Kahlan who'd gotten up from the bed and was smiling encouragingly at her. She sighed loudly and grabbed the sweatpants and sweater that were still hanging somewhere around her neck. "Fine."

She waited until Cara had stepped aside and walked past her into the hall, not remembering which door was supposed to be the bathroom. She turned and raised her eyebrows at what she saw.

Both Kahlan and Cara had their heads tilted to the side, in the same direction, and were staring at something in the vicinity of her lower body. Denna glanced down, being reminded that she was still lacking a part of her outfit. A bark of laughter that was somewhere between nervous and amused escaped her. Two pairs of eyes snapped up to her face.

"I'm sorry."

"Nice ass."

Cara spoke at the same time as Kahlan did and they glanced at each other. Kahlan raised an eyebrow while Cara shrugged. "Right?"

Kahlan snorted quietly and shook her head before looking at Denna again. "The bathroom is to your right. We'll be here."

Denna quickly made her way across the hall and slipped into the bathroom where she leaned against the closed door and took several deep breaths. She looked down at her bare legs and a small smile crept onto her lips.

She shook her head and sighed, quickly pulling on the sweatpants Cara had thrown into her face. She walked over to the mirror and unbuttoned her dress shirt, letting it slid down her shoulders and pool around her feet. She stared at her upper body for several silent moments like she'd done earlier in the day until she pulled the sweater over her head. Thankfully it had a high collar and she felt semi-comfortable in Cara's clothes. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water into her face.

Her head was still throbbing and she was completely exhausted. With a quiet groan she turned the water off and instead began untangling the various pins from her hair that had previously held it over to one side. Soon her platinum-blonde tresses tumbled freely across her back and shoulders.

There as no use in keeping up appearances anymore. The two people waiting for her across the hall had already seen the worst so she could just as well stop pretending to be someone she was not. Not anymore.

With a last glance in the mirror, she left the bathroom and slowly made her way back to the guest bedroom where both Kahlan and Cara were sitting at the foot of the bed, talking quietly. They looked up as soon as she stepped inside and Kahlan greeted her with a soft smile while Cara studied her silently.

"So? What now?" Denna asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well, you obviously had a nightmare, a pretty awful one at that, so we could talk about it?" Kahlan asked calmly.

"There is nothing to say," Denna answered tersely, rubbing the palm of her hand against her forehead.

What were these people expecting from her? They hardly knew each other so why the hell would she share her problems and concerns with them?

Cara sighed and moved up to the head of the bed where she could lean against the headboard with her arms crossed. "I guess you don't really get what Kahlan is offering you."

Denna glanced at Cara. "And what would that be?"

"A safe space."

"What makes you think I need one?"

"What makes you think you don't?"

Denna opened her mouth to reply, but her brow furrowed as she thought about Cara's words. Kahlan seemed to take her silence as some sort of consent because she patted the now empty space beside her on the bed. "Sit. I'll try and help you with your headache."

She was about to protest, turn around and just hightail it out of there because the situation was getting more confusing by the second, but for some reason Denna did the complete opposite of what her head was telling her to do. She walked over to the bed and sat down. "You don't even know me."

"And you don't really know either of us," Kahlan replied.

"Yeah we could be crazy axe murderers," Cara said from behind her, the smirk clearly audible in her voice.

"That's reassuring," Denna answered with a glance over her shoulder. Just in case.

Kahlan shuffled around a little bit until she was sitting closely behind her.

"What -"

Before she could ask her question, fingers settled on either side of her head and began massaging her temples as well as other parts of her hurting skull. Her eyes involuntarily closed. "Oh god."

"Better than aspirin huh?" Cara inquired and Denna hummed quietly.

"Just relax," Kahlan encouraged quietly and continued her massage until the headache receded and everything became kind of fuzzy. This woman had magic hands, there was just no other way to describe it.

This was certainly one of the strangest nights of her life. She felt exhaustion creeping up on her and sighed quietly as she slumped to the side.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Denna licked her dry lips and turned her head away from the bright light that attempted to sneak past her half-closed lids. She sighed quietly and smiled to herself. She was wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth and it was relaxing and calm. Until she became aware of the hot breath tickling her neck. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped quietly, trying to remain as still as possible to assess the situation.

Kahlan was snuggled into her front with her legs pulled up and her forehead resting against Denna's collarbone. Denna flexed her fingers that had somehow found their way onto Kahlan's hip and slowly removed them. She was trying to figure out where to put her hand when she saw the arm that was draped across her middle from behind. She raised her eyebrows and followed the arm with her eyes, craning her neck to see Cara's head resting on the pillow behind her.

"What the…?"

Her eyes flickered over to the clock on the nightstand. It was already past noon. Denna's eyes widened as she fought the urge to sit up. Had she really slept through ten solid hours without a single interruption? No nightmare, nothing. She blinked her eyes, feeling more well-rested than she had in months.

Cara shifted behind her and she opened her mouth to say something when fingers clamped over her lips. "Don't wake her," Cara whispered into her ear.

Denna rolled her eyes. She didn't appreciate being told what to do, especially not by an irritating blonde who dared to clamp a hand over her mouth like some five-year-old.

So Denna did the only thing she could think of. She stuck out her tongue and licked along the digits still resting against her lips. Instead of the anticipated squeal from Cara she only heard a low chuckle before a warm tongue was dragged from her neck up to her jaw. Denna hissed quietly and squirmed away while glaring at Cara over her shoulder.

Cara's shoulders shook with silent laughter as she jerked her head toward the door and slowly moved away from Denna and off the bed.

She immediately felt the cool air seeping through her sweatshirt where Cara had vacated the spot pressed against her back and shuddered. Denna carefully moved away from Kahlan, trying not to wake her and grabbed a pillow when slender fingers reached for her. She shoved the pillow into Kahlan who snuggled against it with a sigh.

Denna released a sigh of her own and crawled backwards off the bed to follow Cara over to the door. They slipped out into the hall and Denna raised her eyebrows at the other woman.

"She worked all day yesterday before the party and was pretty much dead on her feet all evening. I just want her to get some more sleep," Cara explained with a small shrug. "Come on, I'll make some coffee."

Cara walked down the hall and descended the stairs to the lower level of the house where the kitchen was located. Denna followed her quietly, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she'd slept through almost the entire night without any meds. Being basically wedged in between these two women she barely knew hadn't been uncomfortable, a little awkward maybe, but not in the slightest panic-worthy.

"How's the head?" Cara asked when Denna entered the kitchen behind her.

"It's… fine actually."

"Good."

Cara busied herself with the coffee machine while Denna shoved her hands into the front pocket of her sweater. "Are we going to talk about this?"

"About what?"

"This whole weird waking up together?"

"Was it?"

"What?"

"Weird."

Denna raised her eyebrows and frowned. It seemed like they weren't going to talk about it. "I don't know you very well but I really dislike you sometimes."

Cara laughed quietly and turned to Denna after the coffee machine had started working beside her. "You wound me."

"You can take it."

"That I can," Cara answered with a smirk and Denna found herself smiling in response.

Friendly banter after a night like that? She could get used to it, even though she shouldn't. This was an exception and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to keep going to Kahlan's yoga class after, well, everything.

Usually she remembered her nightmares vividly in the mornings, but this time it was more of a blurry haze, only images and the mild residue of terror clinging to them. She tried to remember how exactly she'd ended up in bed with Kahlan and Cara but came up mostly blank. She recalled being at the party and someone talking to her, inquiring about her past, and then Cara had taken her upstairs, offered her a drink and… well, that probably explained it.

Denna sat down at the small bar that separated kitchen from living room and accepted the coffee mug from Cara with a quiet 'thank you'.

"So how did you sleep?"

"I… surprisingly well."

Cara leaned across the bar and narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean 'surprisingly'? Your answer should be more along the lines of 'best night of my life'."

Denna rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee. "You mean aside from the hangover? Well, I slept, so yes it was a good night."

Cara drank her coffee and sat down across from her at the little bar.

"You have a nice house," Denna commented after looking around for a couple of silent moments.

"Thanks. It's mostly Kahlan's interior design skills, but I had my moments," Cara pointed her thumb over her shoulder toward the glass sliding doors, "if it wasn't for me there would be no pool. Can you imagine?"

"A crime against humanity, surely."

"I liked you better when you were sleeping."

"Dito."

Denna hid her smile behind her coffee mug and glanced at Cara over the rim.

This was admittedly one of the best mornings she'd had in a long time. She was not only enjoying the hot coffee and the feeling of being rested but also the company.

But it was only going to be a one-time occurrence. They were hardly friends and as much fun as it was to banter with Cara, there was simply no reason for a repeat performance, especially not when she had been drunk and ended up in a bed that was not her own. Best morning after though.

"I should probably get going," Denna said, putting her mug down and tapping her fingers against it.

"Not until Kahlan's up, I'm sure she wants to talk to you."

"But -"

"Nope, I'm not letting you out of here, even if I have to tie you down."

"You'd like that wouldn't you," Denna mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. So what do you suggest I do while dawdling here?" Denna asked with a mock British accent.

Cara glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "How about a swim? It's nice out."

"God no," she immediately answered. Her heart immediately sped up at the thought of wearing nothing but a swimsuit, or worse a bikini.

But before she even had the chance to turn down more of Cara's surely inappropriate suggestions, a sleepy looking Kahlan walked into the kitchen. Her black hair was held back in a messy ponytail and she smiled brightly at Denna. "Hey."

She pressed a quick kiss to Cara's lips before pouring herself a cup of coffee. "You guys should've woken me."

"Yeah well you needed sleep more than cranky company," Cara answered with a smug smirk in Denna's direction.

"Who're you calling cranky?"

"Would you like me to spell it out?"

"I would like you to take that swim now and not come back," Denna said with a glare.

They stared at each other several seconds until Kahlan burst out laughing next to them and Cara joined in. Denna just lowered her head and smiled into her empty coffee mug. She couldn't quite believe that this was actually fun.

"I see you two have already bonded in my absence," Kahlan commented and joined them at the bar beside Cara. "It's nice to have you here Denna, thank you for staying."

Denna looked up and glanced from Kahlan's friendly smile to Cara's stoic smirk.

"No, I should be thanking you, for… everything. I do appreciate it, I just can't…," she trailed off and sighed.

She wasn't even sure what exactly she was trying to say. They had no idea what a big deal it was for her to feel comfortable in someone else's presence aside from Dahlia and Darken. To actually sleep in the same bed with another human being had seemed pretty much impossible the day before when she'd woken up from yet another nightmare, but now everything was somehow changed. In the last twelve hours she hadn't even thought about taking any kind of medication and it felt freeing in a way she couldn't have possibly anticipated.

"It's okay," Kahlan said with a small shake of her head, "you don't have to tell us anything. It's just nice to have you around. I mean I can't believe we slept until after…"

Kahlan's eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Your paper?" Cara asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

"My paper, shit, crap , damn."

Kahlan jumped up from her barstool and basically bounded up the stairs in a headless haste. Denna leaned back with a furrowed brow, looking at Cara who sighed.

"She was supposed to turn in a paper today before noon, and well, that didn't quite work out. I completely forgot about it too."

Denna suddenly remembered Cara telling her that Kahlan was actually getting her degree in psychology. She immediately tensed and watched as Kahlan skipped back down the stairs. "I sent it with an apology and some lame excuse."

Denna clenched her jaw. Could it get any worse? She suddenly felt like some kind of psychology project Kahlan had taken on in order to study… what exactly? Depression? Anxiety? What if their friendliness was only some kind scheme to keep her around, to analyze her? The thought made her stomach flip and she took a breath through her nose.

"So what exactly is your field of study?" she asked quietly.

"Forensic psychology," Kahlan answered as she slid back onto the stool next to Cara.

Denna looked up. "As in you work with law and in courts?"

Kahlan nodded and lifted her coffee cup to her lips. "Yup."

Relieved, Denna closed her eyes for a moment and released the breath she'd been holding in. Cara and Kahlan seemed oblivious to her mini freak-out and if they noticed they didn't comment on it either way.

"Okay who wants breakfast? I think I'll make some pancakes," Kahlan announced, looking from one blonde to the other.

"Chocolate chip," Cara answered with a smile and cocked her head to look at Denna from the corner of her eyes.

"Uh… blueberry?"

"Perfect," Kahlan said and moved over to the fridge where she began putting ingredients on the counter next to them.

Denna rested her elbow on the counter and held her chin in her hand while she watched Kahlan and Cara putter around in the kitchen until pancake batter was quietly sizzling in a large pan on the stove.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Denna kicked her feet up onto her couch and slouched against the comfortable backrest. She glanced around her small apartment, mentally comparing it to the place she'd left a couple of months back. It was only half the size of her previous condo but with the money she was making through subletting it and working at Doctor Zorander's practice she could comfortably afford it. She wasn't even making a fraction of what she'd earned at her old job, but she was finally getting better and that was frankly all that mattered.

"Yeah it's going well so far, I'm doing okay," she said, switching her phone from one side of her head to the other.

"You know Darken is plotting your visit like a crazy man right? He didn't get his requested time off and feels like shit about it so I'm sure he'll surprise you with a marching band or something," Dahlia said.

"Are you supposed to be telling me that?"

"I guess not, but don't say anything to him okay? I wouldn't want him to bust a vein or something."

"Alright, but I told him that I'm really not mad he couldn't make it. It wasn't his fault."

"You know how he is."

"Yeah. So how about you, how are you doing?"

Dahlia was silent for several moments. "I miss you here, it's not the same, and it feels kind of empty."

Denna pressed her lips together and rubbed a hand across her face.

"I know, I miss you too, but I had to go."

"I understand, you know I do, but that doesn't change that it was me who -"

"No, don't start. We talked about this and I don't blame you, so you should stop doing it as well. It could've happened to either of us, hell, to half the staff."

"Okay, I won't argue with you, I don't want to ruin your evening Den. Let's talk about something else. Darken was telling me about this party you went to. Anything interesting happen there?"

Denna smiled to herself and closed her eyes. "I don't know, but I might've made… some friends."

"That's awesome Den, what are they like? I mean not that they could replace me or even Darken, but I'm glad you're getting out. Oh remember that one time we went to that bar and ended up in Central Park with my pants and your shirt missing?"

Denna laughed at the memory and sunk further into the cushions. "God yes, how could I forget?"


End file.
